Method of labeling a package for shipment

ABSTRACT

A method of labeling a package for shipment includes: providing a shipping label having a generally laminar body with a designated tear path matrix extending over at least a major portion thereof, the generally laminar body having a face side on which is printed origination, destination and tracking data, and a bottom side to which is applied a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface; and attaching the shipping label to a surface of the package, via the pressure-sensitive adhesive surface on the bottom side of said label, prior to its shipment via a common carrier. The designated tear path matrix may be a pattern of interconnected regular hexagons, or a pattern of intersecting first and second parallel tear lines. The tear path matrix may be formed by through-hole perforations in the label body, by channels in the label body, or by regions of reduced shear strength in the label body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, claims priority to and thebenefit of, U.S. Ser. No. 13/657,368 filed on Oct. 22, 2012 entitled“METHOD OF LABELING A PACKAGE FOR SHIPMENT.” The '368 application is acontinuation of, claims priority to and the benefit of, U.S. Ser. No.10/326,305 filed on Dec. 23, 2002 entitled “METHOD OF LABELING A PACKAGEFOR SHIPMENT,” which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,317,230 on Nov. 27, 2012.The '230 patent is a divisional of, claims priority to and the benefitof, U.S. Ser. No. 09/841,627 filed on Apr. 23, 2001, which is nowabandoned. All of the aforementioned applications are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to labels which are designed so that informationprinted thereon is protected from inadvertent removal after the labelhas been applied to a package. More specifically, the invention relatesto labels having a plurality of tear paths incorporated therein whichprevent the removal of large portions of the label when any part of thelabel becomes snagged, caught or stuck to another object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Description of the Prior Art

Labels are used for many diverse functions. Product labels are attachedto a large variety of consumer goods. Such labels typically identify themanufacturer or the distributor of the item, relevant data such asmaterials used to manufacture the item, its size, and its price.Descriptive labels are frequently attached to closed shipping containersso that the contents thereof may be ascertained without opening thecontainer. Identification labels are used by all major airlines toidentify checked baggage. Shipping labels are widely used by freightcarriers such as the U.S. Postal Service, Federal Express, United ParcelService. Such labels typically specify the shipper, the recipient,package contents, the shipping date, the shipping office, a trackingnumber and other information used during the shipping and deliveryprocess.

When a label is used to designate the origin, destination and contentsof a shipped package, there is typically no redundancy of information onthe package. Thus if the label is removed before final delivery, thepackage will lack sufficient information to guarantee a successfuldelivery. Even if the package is opened, generally little or noadditional information is found inside of the package which can assistin the delivery or return of the package. Moreover, the process ofopening each package that has lost its label is time intensive andfinancially burdensome. For this very reason, many packages becomeunidentifiable and undeliverable during the shipping process. The majorfreight carriers have entire warehouses dedicated to the storage ofundeliverable packages. Although every reasonable attempt is made todetermine the shipper or the intended recipient, much of thisundeliverable merchandise is eventually disposed of by the freightcarriers through auctions or distress sales.

Several decades ago, sodium silicate (a water-soluble compound) wascommonly used to apply paper labels to paperboard containers. It isstill used in the manufacture of corrugated paperboard containers as aninterlayer adhesive. The advantage of using sodium silicate as anadhesive is that once the moisture has evaporated from the solution, thelabel essentially becomes an integral part of the paperboard container.The disadvantages of using sodium silicate as an adhesive for labels isthat the sodium silicate must be applied as an aqueous solution. Untilthe solution has dried, the label is easily removed. In addition, boththe sodium silicate solution and an applicator for the solution must beavailable when the label is applied.

Today, sodium silicate is seldom used as a label adhesive. Modern labelsare generally fabricated from a laminar sheet of printable material suchas paper or a polymeric “plastic” compound. Shipping information istypically printed in human readable form, in machine-readable form, orin both forms on a top surface of the laminar sheet. The bottom surfaceof the label is typically coated with a layer of pressure-sensitiveadhesive. Most pressure-sensitive adhesives in use today aremanufactured from synthetic rubbers and other synthetic polymers. Thereare several advantages and several disadvantages related to the use ofpressure-sensitive labels. The advantages are that they are easilyapplied, not only to paperboard containers, but to unpackaged plastic,rubber, and metal items as well. In addition, no messy solution orspecial applicators are required. of to adhere the various layers to oneanother. The first disadvantage of pressure-sensitive adhesives is theirtemperature sensitivity. Pressure-sensitive labels are best attached athigh temperatures and shipped at low temperatures. The higher thetemperature, easier it is to both apply and remove a label having abacking of pressure-sensitive adhesive. The most significantdisadvantage of pressure-sensitive adhesives is that the adhesive neversets up. In other words, it is permanently sticky. Improper applicationof a label to a shipped item can become a real problem. If the label isnot completely adhered to the shipped item, an unadhered portion of thelabel can be bent away from the item and attach itself to anything withwhich it comes in contact, including conveyor systems, deliveryvehicles, delivery personnel, and even the labels of other packages. Inwarm weather, the entire label could easily be removed from the shippeditem or package. If the label is damaged or removed from the packageduring transit, proper delivery is hindered and perhaps becomesimpossible.

A label is subjected to various situations that may damage the label,render it unreadable, tear a portion of the label off the package and/ortear the entire label from the package. Additionally, many shear forcesare applied against the label throughout the label's shipping process.Some of these shear forces will commence as a force perpendicular to thelabel that becomes an angular force before the force terminates. Othershear forces may be applied because a portion of the label becomesadhered to a stationary item such as a part of the conveyor belt alongthe shipping pathway. This latter situation may also involve theadhesion of the label of one package to another package. Whether thelabel is torn away from the package or the label is torn apart willlargely be determined by the action that requires the least energy. Theaction which occurs is the action that exerted the least resistancerelative to the shear force and the label against which it was applied.

In an attempt to prevent accidental damage or loss of the label, labelshave heretofore been constructed of a uniformly thick, tear-resistantimpermeable polymeric film. A label constructed in such a manner may bedurable and tear resistant, but presents two additional concerns. First,these labels inadvertently facilitate the complete removal of the labelfrom the package. This undesirable result is thought to occur because,where a particular shear force applied against a weaker label mightsimply tear it, the same shear force, when applied against a label madeof stronger, more uniform material, will remove the entire label fromthe shipped item or package. Secondly, because the label is animpermeable solid sheet, pockets of air may be trapped between the labeland the package during its application to the package. The air preventsthe complete adhesion of the label to the package, rendering its removaleasier than if the label were completely adhered to the package.

Several shipping label styles of the prior art have enclosed theshipping label in a plastic envelope or pocket which is attached to thepackage, to prevent damage to the label during shipping. However, thoughthis approach may protect the label from damage, it also serves tofacilitate the complete removal of the envelope or pocket, along withthe intact, undamaged shipping label, from the package.

An additional style of label in the prior art increased the surface areaof the label, including an increase. in the area of the pressuresensitive adhesive layer. Apparently, it was perceived that through theincrease in the surface area of the adhesive layer, that strongeradhesion of the label to the package would be accomplished and, thus, itwould be more difficult to remove any portion of the label. However, anatural consequence of the increased surface area of the label is theincrease in the volume of air that must be displaced by the label inorder to accomplish adhesion to the package. The increased surface areaof the label often resulted in decreased adhesion of the label becauseof the trapped air between the label and the package, which preventedcomplete adhesion of the label. Instead of providing a label thatresisted inadvertent removal, the label was often more easily removed.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a label that adheres moretenaciously to the package, minimizes the trapping of air between it andthe package during application, and which permits the tearing away oftiny bits of the label which may become snagged during shipment, therebyleaving the remainder of the label intact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the aforementioned problems related toshipping labels having pressure-sensitive adhesive backings. In much thesame way that a lizard gives up its tail to a potential predator to saveits life, the new label is designed as a matrix of interconnected bits,such that any bit may be removed without removing adjacent bits. Allembodiments of the present invention are directed to labels that have amatrix of predetermined designated tear paths, each of which describes apathway of low resistance tearing. This predetermined designated tearpath describes a path of decreased tearing resistance and, because atear will follow the pathway of least resistance, this predetermineddesignated tear path directs the tear along a determined pathway, ratherthan a random path across the label.

For a preferred embodiment of the invention, the entire label isprovided with myriad, interconnected tear paths. Each bit of the labelis completely surrounded by multiple tear paths so that it may beindividually removed without removing an adjacent bit. The tear pathsmay be formed in various ways. A first method is to create a matrix ofintersecting, perforated lines through the printable sheet, or body, ofthe label. A second method is to create a matrix of intersecting scorelines on the top surface, bottom surface or both surfaces of theprintable sheet or body of the label. A third method is to form theprintable sheet in a heat and/or pressure texturizing process so that amatrix of grooves is formed on the top surface, bottom surface, or bothsurfaces thereof. A fourth method is to form the printable sheet fromtwo different materials of different shear strengths. A spider-web-likematrix of the material having a lower shear strength is embedded withina sheet of material having a greater shear strength. As a general rule,the pressure-sensitive adhesives in use have very little structuralstrength. For this reason, creating a tear path pattern matrix withinthe adhesive layer, itself, is not a preferred method. Were the adhesivelayer to have significant structural strength, it might also be providedwith the matrix of tear paths. For this embodiment of the invention, itis contemplated that shipping and identification information will beduplicated on different portions of the label. Thus, if a bit ofinformation essential to decoding the printed shipping or identificationinformation is mechanically removed from one portion of the label, itwill be found on the other portion.

For another preferred embodiment of the invention, the primarydata-containing portions of the label is free of tear paths, with onlythe areas surrounding the primary data-containing portion being providedwith a matrix of tear paths. This embodiment of the invention may beused where perforations hamper the reading of bar-code information onthe label. However, where information in human readable form is printedon the label, perforations generally do not interfere with the readingof the information. For this embodiment of the invention, it iscontemplated that, for maximum shipping security, multiple labels willbe attached to the shipping container. Two-dimensional,optically-readable code patterns are capable of storing a great deal ofinformation in a small area. As a backup to the primary data-containingportions of the label, multiple two-dimensional code patterns whichencode for the shipping and identification information may be placed onthe shipping container. One embodiment of the invention includes atleast one such two-dimensional code pattern which can be detached fromthe primary shipping label before its attachment to the shippingcontainer and attached to the container at a location removed from theattachment site of the primary shipping label.

The energy of a shear force applied to a label is directed by the lawsof physics to be expended in one or all of several actions. The shearforce will act in the most energetically conservative fashion to theextent of its potential energy. The shear force will cause theenergetically most conservative action or series of actions. One ofthese actions is the tearing of the label. The tear will follow the pathof least resistance through the label. The path of least tear-resistanceis often a random pathway across the label. The randomness probablyoccurs because of slight inconsistencies in the strength or thickness ofdifferent portions of the printable sheet, or body of the label.

A shear force that might have damaged a label lacking a predetermineddesignated tear path because of a random tear through the label, orwhich might have caused the label to be torn from the package, tearsalong the predetermined designated tear path because this actiondescribes an action of lessor energy expenditure than alternativeactions such as tearing along a non-predetermined designated tear pathor the removal of the label from the package.

The matrix of predetermined designated tear paths is formed in the labelso that any tearing of the label will be minimized and limited to thebits which actually come in contact with a shearing force. The existenceof designated tear paths prevents a tear from continuing into theprimary data portion of the label if the shear force does not act onthat portion.

In the context of this disclosure, a “predetermined designated tearpath” means a path of lower tear resistance than elsewhere on the label.The path of lower tear resistance may or may not be visible to the nakedeye, and describes a pathway across the label where the energy requiredto tear the label is less than the energy required to tear portions ofthe label were no tear path exists.

Where the designated tear-path is described by perforations or holesthrough the printable sheet, or body of the label, each hole, whichextends from the top surface of the sheet to the bottom surface thereof,is one portion of a designated tear path. A designated tear path isdefined by a theoretical line which interconnects each hole with one ormore other holes adjacent thereto. A tear which follows this designatedtear path will proceed along a path of lesser tear resistance than ifthe tear had proceeded through the main body of the label.

Where the designated tear path is described by a different, more easilytorn material, the material has been interspersed with the main labelmaterial so as to define a spider-web-like design of more easily torncomposition and main label material surrounding, on the plane, thedata-containing portion of the label.

Where the designated tear path is described by a series ofinterconnecting channels, these channels may be on either the top orbottom surface, or perhaps on both surfaces. This design would providedesignated tear paths defined by the channels in the surface of thelabel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top planar view of a first embodiment of a tear-away labelhaving a ⅛-inch tear path grid;

FIG. 2 is a top planar view of a second embodiment of a tear-away labelhaving a 1/16-inch tear path grid and multiple tear-off, relocatable,two-dimensional, optically-readable code patterns;

FIG. 3 is a top planar view of a third embodiment of a tear-away labelhaving a ⅛-inch tear path grid, rounded corners, and multiple tear-off,relocatable, two-dimensional, optically-readable code patterns;

FIG. 4 is a top planar view of the third embodiment tear-away label onwhich has been printed sample data; and

FIG. 5 is a top planar view of an optional honey-comb tear path gridwhich is usable for the tear-away labels of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a label showing perforated tearpaths;

FIG. 7 is a thin-slice view of a label showing grooved tear paths;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a label showing tear paths comprisedof material having less shear strength than that of surroundingmaterial;

FIG. 9 is a carton for shipment to which has been applied the label ofFIG. 4; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a label showing channels cut in atop surface and channels cut in a bottom surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Accordingly, one aspect of the invention is directed to a labelcomprising a designated tear-path. This printable sheet, or body, of thelabel has a top and a bottom surface. The bottom surface may be apressure sensitive adhesive and the top surface may have one or moredata containing portions.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a shipping label 100 constructed in accordancewith the present invention includes a blank region 101 on which can beprinted human-readable information in the form of alphanumericcharacters, a bar-coded region 102, and a single two-dimensional,optically-readable code pattern 103 positioned in the lower right-handcorner of the blank region 101. It is intended that code pattern 103encodes sufficient information to identify the shipment in the eventthat the bar coding in the bar-coded region 102 is damaged to the extentthat it becomes undecipherable. The label 100, which is shownapproximately to the intended scale, employs a ⅛-inch tear path gridwithin the blank region 101 and in a border 104 which surrounds threesides of the bar-coded region 102.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a shipping label 200 is similar to shippinglabel 100 of FIG. 1, with the exception that a 1/16-inch tear path gridis employed in the blank region 201, and the addition of fivesupplemental two-dimensional code patterns 203B, 203C, 203D, 203E and203F, which are detachable from the primary shipping label so that theymay be relocated to different portions of a shipping carton. It isintended that each of the six two-dimensional code patterns 203A, 203B,203C, 203D, 203E and 203F incorporates sufficient information toidentify the shipment.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a shipping label 300 constructed in accordancewith the present invention includes a blank region 201, a bar-codedregion 302, and a single six two-dimensional, optically-readable codepatterns 303A, 303B, 303C, 303D, 303E and 303F. Of the sixtwo-dimensional code patterns, 303A in printed within the blank region301 and is intended to remain with the primary shipping label, whichincludes the blank region 301 and the bar-coded region 302. The fiveremaining two-dimensional code patterns 303B, 303C, 303D, 303E and 303Fare detachable from the primary shipping label so that they may berelocated to different portions of a shipping carton. It is intendedthat each of the six two-dimensional code patterns incorporatessufficient information to identify the shipment.

Referring now to FIG. 4, human readable shipping information has beenprinted within the blank region 301 of label 300.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a blank shipping label having a honeycomb tearpattern over its entire surface is shown. The tear pattern may be formedfrom perforations, channels, or varied shear strength of materials usedto fabricate the label body 501.

An additional aspect of the invention is directed to a label comprisinga top surface and a bottom surface and a designated tear-path and wherea plurality of holes communicating between said top surface and saidbottom surface, define the designated tear-path. The plurality of holesmay be perforations such as used to separate a tear-off section of acoupon or bill. Referring now to FIG. 6, a cross section is shown of asmall portion of a label 600 in which through hole perforations 601 areused to form the tear pattern matrix.

An additional aspect of the invention is directed to a label comprisinga top surface and a bottom surface and where a plurality of channels arecut in either the top surface or the bottom surface or optionally (asshown in FIG. 10) in both the top and the bottom surfaces and wherethese channels define designated tear-paths. The channels, if cut onlyin one of the surfaces, may be of any depth less than the thickness ofthe label, and where the channels are cut in both surfaces, they mayeach be individually cut to any depth with the proviso that where anychannels on the top surface are coincident with a channel on the bottomsurface, that the combined depth of the channels is less than thethickness of the label (as also shown in FIG. 10). Referring now to FIG.7, a thin-slice section is shown of a small portion of a label 700 inwhich channels 701 are used to form the tear pattern matrix. It will benoted that each of the channels 701 is square-cut, with the walls 702thereof forming a right angle with the bottom 703 thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a cross-section is shown of a small portion ofa label 800 in which regions of varied shear strength are employed toform the tear pattern matrix. Regions 801 are made of material havinggreater shear strength than regions 802.

In FIGS. 6 through 8, the bottom layer 602 of each label 600, 700 and800 is a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.

Although the following theoretical explanation should not be viewed as alimitation on the invention, it may serve to assist understanding andthe practice of the invention. The label according to the presentinvention provides many advantages over labels of the prior art throughthe incorporation of a designated tear path in the label. The designatedtear path predisposes the label to function in unique and beneficialways.

First, the designated tear path defines a path of lesser or decreasedtear-resistance than other portions of the label. A shear force ofsufficient strength applied to the label will cause the label to tear.In labels of the prior art, the label would tear along a seeminglyrandom path. However, the tear proceeds along a path of least resistancethrough the label. The designated tear paths provide tear sections ofless resistance as compared to other portions of the label. A tear in alabel according to the present invention follows the designated tearpath because it defines a path of decreased tear resistance as comparedto other portions of the label. Moreover, a tear that initiates at anouter edge of the label, at the intersection of a designated tear pathwith an outer edge, would not tear in a random direction through thelabel, but would continue to tear according to the designated tear pathbecause the tear path defines a path of reduced tear-resistance ascompared to other portions of the label.

When a tear initiates at a portion of the label other than on adesignated tear-path, the label will tear in a random directionaccording to the direction of the force vector until the tear intersectsa designated tear path. When the tear intersects a designated tear path,the tear follows the designated tear path because the designated tearpath is a path of diminished or lesser tear-resistance as compared toother portions of the label. Each designated tear path directs the teartoward an outer edge of the label. The designated tear paths therebydirect any tear away from the data portion of the label and toward anouter edge.

Additionally, when the designated tear-path is defined as a plurality ofholes, perforations, or channels cut into one or both sides of thelabel, there is less chance of trapping air between the label and thepackage during application of the label to the package. During theadherence of a label to a package, the bottom or pressure sensitiveadhesive side is pressed onto the package to be labeled. To avoid beingtrapped under the label during the application process, air that isbeneath the label passes through the plurality of holes in the label, oralong one of the channels cut into the bottom surface. Greater contactbetween the label and the package is achieved by providing a pathway forthe air to easily escape. Greater contact between the label and thepackage equates to increased adhesion of the label to the package.Through this design, the air is allowed to escape, thereby allowing fora more complete adhesion of the label to the package. Therefore, a labelaccording to the present invention adheres more strongly to the packagethan labels of the prior art.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a package ready for shipment 901 has had thelabel 400 applied thereto. The package 901 is a conventional fiberboardcontainer having six generally planar faces. The label is adhered to thepackage 901 with adhesive backing layer 602 (see FIGS. 6-8). It will benoted that optically-readable code patterns 3038, 303C, 303D. and 303Ehave been applied to other locations on the package, thereby lesseningthe chance that delivery information will be obliterated duringshipment.

Although only several embodiments of the invention have been describedherein it will be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art thatcertain modifications and changes may be made thereto without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A shipping label comprising: a generallyflat body having a face side, a bottom side and an outer edge; a tearpath matrix comprising channels, wherein the channels include a firstchannel on the face side and a second channel on the bottom side, andwherein a combined depth of the first channel and the second channel isless than the thickness of the label, wherein the tear path matrixdirects a tear toward the outer edge of the shipping label, wherein thetear path matrix separately surrounds a second region and a thirdregion, wherein the first region, the second region and the third regionare contiguous, and wherein the first region, the second region and thethird region include similar shipping data; wherein the second channelon the bottom side is configured to allow air to escape from the bottomside, through the second channel and out through the outer edge, inresponse to applying the shipping label to a surface, wherein the secondchannel in each of the channels increases the adhesion of the shippinglabel by minimizing pockets of air being trapped under the bottom side,in response to applying the shipping label to a surface; the firstregion having primary data; the second region having a two-dimensionalcode; wherein the second region is removed without removing the firstregion, and an adhesive over the bottom side.
 2. The shipping label ofclaim 1, wherein the second region is detached from the first regionbefore applying the shipping label to a first area on the surface, andwherein the second region is placed in a second area on the surface. 3.The shipping label of claim 1, wherein the second region does notinclude a tear path matrix over the surface area of the second region.4. The shipping label of claim 1, wherein the second region comprises atleast one of an optically-readable code pattern, a bar code andalphanumeric characters.
 5. The shipping label of claim 1, whereinsimilar of the shipping data is at least one of encoded, printed andembossed on the first region, the second region and the third region. 6.The shipping label of claim 1, wherein the tear path matrix comprises atleast one of the plurality of holes, perforations, channels and variedshear strength.
 7. The shipping label of claim 1, wherein the tear pathmatrix comprises a path of lesser tear resistance.
 8. The shipping labelof claim 1, wherein the adhesive does not cover the plurality ofopenings.
 9. The shipping label of claim 1, wherein the first region,the second region and the third region independently adhere to thesurface.
 10. The shipping label of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is apressure-sensitive adhesive.
 11. The shipping label of claim 1, whereinthe shipping label is about 6¾ inches by 4½ inches.
 12. The shippinglabel of claim 1, wherein the first region includes human readableinformation, the second region includes a bar code and the third regionincludes a plurality of QR codes.
 13. The shipping label of claim 1,wherein the similar shipping data separately includes informationsufficient to identify the same shipment.
 14. The shipping label ofclaim 1, wherein the shipping data includes invoice data, tracking data,origin data and destination data.
 15. The shipping label of claim 1,wherein the tear path matrix comprises a non-random path.
 16. A shippinglabel comprising: a generally flat body having a face side, a bottomside and an outer edge; a tear path matrix comprising channels, whereinthe channels include a first channel on the face side and a secondchannel on the bottom side, and wherein a combined depth of the firstchannel and the second channel is less than the thickness of the label,wherein the second channel on the bottom side is configured to allow airto escape from the bottom side, through the second channel and outthrough the outer edge, in response to applying the shipping label to asurface, wherein the second channel in each of the channels increasesthe adhesion of the shipping label by minimizing pockets of air beingtrapped under the bottom side, in response to applying the shippinglabel to a surface; an adhesive over the bottom side.
 17. A shippinglabel comprising: a generally flat body having a face side, a bottomside and an outer edge; a tear path matrix comprising channels, whereinthe channels include a first channel on the face side and a secondchannel on the bottom side, and wherein a combined depth of the firstchannel and the second channel is less than the thickness of the label,wherein the tear path matrix directs a tear toward the outer edge of theshipping label, wherein the tear path matrix separately surrounds asecond region and a third region, wherein the first region, the secondregion and the third region are contiguous, and wherein the firstregion, the second region and the third region include similar shippingdata; wherein the second channel on the bottom side is configured toallow air to escape from the bottom side, through the second channel andout through the outer edge, in response to applying the shipping labelto a surface, wherein the second channel in each of the channelsincreases the adhesion of the shipping label by minimizing pockets ofair being trapped under the bottom side, in response to applying theshipping label to a surface; a plurality of openings extending throughthe bottom side to the face side, wherein air escapes from the bottomside, through the plurality of openings and out from the face side, inresponse to applying the shipping label to a surface, wherein theplurality of openings increases the adhesion of the shipping label byminimizing pockets of air being trapped under the bottom side, inresponse to applying the shipping label to a surface; the first regionhaving primary data; the second region having a two-dimensional code;wherein the second region is removed without removing the first region,and an adhesive over the bottom side.
 18. A method for applying ashipping label to a surface, comprising: applying the shipping label toa first portion of the surface, wherein the shipping label includes agenerally flat body having a face side, a bottom side, an outer edge,and an adhesive over the bottom side; removing a second region of theshipping label along a tear path matrix, without removing the firstregion; and wherein the tear path matrix comprises channels, wherein thechannels include a first channel on the face side and a second channelon the bottom side, and wherein a combined depth of the first channeland the second channel is less than the thickness of the label, whereinthe second channel on the bottom side is configured to allow air toescape from the bottom side, through the second channel and out throughthe outer edge, in response to applying the shipping label to a surface,wherein the second channel in each of the channels increases theadhesion of the shipping label by minimizing pockets of air beingtrapped under the bottom side, in response to applying the shippinglabel to a surface; wherein the tear path matrix separately surrounds asecond region and a third region, wherein the first region, the secondregion and the third region are contiguous, and wherein the firstregion, the second region and the third region include similar shippingdata; applying the second region to a second portion of the surface.